Overview

Roy Wogelius is the Professor of Geochemistry in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and is also the Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life (ICAL). Geochemistry seeks to use and develop chemical techniques for the study of Earth processes which are fundamental to our understanding of the formation of the Solar System, the evolution of life, and the sustainable exploitation of Earth resources by mankind. ICAL is a University of Manchester Research Institute established in 2014 to foster collaborative work across all fields related to evolution.

He is originally from Chicago and studied Geology at the University of Illinois (MSc), completed his PhD in Geochemistry at Northwestern University, and went on to do post-doctoral research at the University of Oxford (Earth Sciences and Nuclear Physics) and at Argonne National Laboratory (Chemical Technology). His research at the University of Manchester has especially focussed on developing synchrotron based methods for the analyses of mineral surfaces and trace chemicals (including radionuclides, organic compounds, and heavy metals) involving a range of natural materials. This research has flourished as part of an exciting and challenging decade long collaboration with physicists at Stanford University’s synchrotron facility and at the Diamond Light Source. Group research on the preservation of pigments in 120 million year old avian fossils was awarded a place as one of the top ten scientific discoveries of 2011 by La Recherche. As part of this ongoing research he was awarded a Blaustein Visiting Professorship at Stanford University. His teaching profile includes advanced courses in kinetics, analytical methods, geochemical modelling, statistical applications, and environmental field studies.